No spam ever. Unsubscribe in one click.
By submitting your email address, you indicate your consent to receiving email marketing messages from us. If you do not want to receive such messages,
tick here:

Welsh Open Qualifiers/

The qualifying stages of the 2013 Welsh Open run from February 6-9 at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, with all matches played over the best of seven frames and selected games from each session streamed live online.

A selection of eight second round qualifying ties have been held back to be contested at the venue on Monday February 11.

As with the recent German Masters, won by Ali Carter, this year's BetVictor Welsh Open will offer a snippet of things to come, with a flat 128 draw format, featuring the majority of players having to battle through qualifying rounds in order to reach the first round proper.

This year has seen a significant shake-up to the structure of the tournament, in that there are only two qualifying rounds instead of the traditional four – not to mention the fact that members of the top 16 are to play in one of those qualifying rounds themselves.

This has led to criticism from some circles of the elite bracket, but is a regime that will be enforced fully from next season onwards, and offers the chance for some lower ranked players to play in front of the television cameras in a major ranking event.

Ding Junhui is the defending champion and his second round qualifier is one of eight that have been held back to be contested at the venue, with the winners entering the first round proper.